Foliage Follow-up April 2013

Because Spring is more than just blooms, I am joining Pam at Digging in Foliage Follow-up. There are so many different colors in foliage this time of year.  New shoots change over time as they mature.  Here are some of my favorites from my gardens.

Goldflame spirea as it began to leaf out. 

 You can sure tell where it got its name.

That was 10 days ago and below is NOW!  WOW!

 Goldmound spirea is almost yellow.  It seems to glow when the sun spotlights it.

While looking at the new growth tips on the Anthony Waterer spirea, I came across this garden visitor.  I have really been seeing a lot of ladybugs this spring, especially on the spireas.

 As the yellow flowers fade on the epimedium, the new foliage begins to grow.  

 Pestemon husker red - I found 3 of these on clearance last fall. I was on the lookout for them after having seen pictures on several garden blogs.  The foliage is great!

 The bengal tiger cannas are emerging. 

 Red knockout rose has stunning red and green foliage.

The foliage star in my garden in April is the red tipped photinia.

Enjoy your spring and the moderate temperatures.  Hope you all are spending lots of time outdoors!  You don't have to work in a garden to observe and enjoy nature.

Dead or Alive?

Have you ever played that game where one person names a celebrity and the others have to tell whether he/she is dead or alive?  I find that with my aging brain I often have a difficult time with this game - I just can't remember.

Lantana

But what's worse is when I play "Dead or Alive?" in the garden.  You see, every Spring I wander around the yard/gardens and I see plants with no buds or leaves.  Uh, oh, has that plant  kicked the bucket?   Or maybe my aging brain just can't remember that some plants spring back to life later than others. [Note to self: be patient]

Beautyberry

 The ones that are always the biggest puzzlers in the game are the ones I  just planted the fall before and so, no, I'm really not sure if it's dead or alive. And the fact is only time will tell.  





Today I saw some new growth (yeah!) on some plants, but the jury is still out on a few others.

Baptisia -  ALIVE!

Balloon flower -  ALIVE!

fothergilla -  ALIVE!

So every day I wander the yard and I peer at these plants and search for the tiniest of buds. And only then will I learn the answer to "Dead or Alive?"  I've got my fingers crossed.


Here's hoping you're finding more alive than dead in your garden!